Omega is certainly best known today for its iconic Speedmaster, yet in the 1940s the brand was making some of the most exciting chronographs of the period, at the same time technically and visually stimulating.

However, even more arresting is the rare multi- scale black glossy dial printed in different shades of gold and copper providing for a fully vibrant and theatrical effect. Furthermore, the dial is stamped "Fab. Suisse", which collectors identify as signifying the watch was to be imported in France. This is particularly important and fitting as the dial is also stamped "Télémètre" in French, which is correct as the watch was sold to the French "Colonies".

The cylindrical case and seeming lack of bezel give this watch an immense presence on the wrist. An impressive and enticing watch in more ways than one, the present lot will delight the amateur of fine designs.

Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.

Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.